Lost in Lace

I have been reading the Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp as introduced to me by the wonderful Visual Artist Fiona Wilson, one of her exercises was to do a Creative Autobiography  to realise where you are at and what makes you tick. One of the questions is 'Which artists to you admire most?' For myself maybe a better term would be 'Creative Individuals' or someone working within the Art and Design sector. The reason I say this is because as I listened to Lesley Millar MBE explain her latest exhibition Lost in Lace at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery I realised that she is most definitely on my admire list. I paraphrase - "The aim of my life has been to increase the understanding and awareness of contemporary textiles initially in my own practice as a weaver and now distilling the work of others." In essence this is what is within my own head with regards to millinery, so a great woman to be inspired by.

Lesley Millar MBE (blonde lady centre stage) beginning her exhibition tour

Suzumi Noda - Juxtaposition jacquard pattern cards woven together

This is the first of Lesley's curated shows that does not concentrate purely on textile artists. She explained that it was tough call to open her door to other artists a community that suddenly was beguiling to her. She wanted a response to 'Lace' and her aim was that all answers to the theme would hold the same weight. Lace being so much more than lingerie and veiling - A lot of holes surrounded by thread - Knitting with air - If space has boundaries is there another space beyond those boundaries? Lesley articulated that her planning of exhibitions comes from three points - Focus-Stimulus - Provocation, a good starting point for us all.

Piper Shepard hand cut site specific lace wall

De Certeau's sense of place and space were important to the exhibition, place is often seen as static and space variable and dynamic, these opposites create new paths and show the interrelatedness of materiality, frisson and tension, an expected and an unexpected use of form.

Chiharu Shiota - After the Dream

This was my favourite piece it was so evocative and stifling in its presence, like your worse nightmare, cobwebs across the face, stuck, beings coming to get you..... A large installation that has previously been at The Venice biennial.

If you can get to Birmingham in the next two weeks it would be worth the trip, a stunning exhibition in a beautiful museum and art gallery. The traditional lace exhibition in the bridge gallery in the museum is also worth a visit.